This invention relates to a fluid device utilizing recirculated fluid within a sealed housing to maintain speed or torque applied to a mechanical apparatus without relying on weight for inertia.
Typically, a flywheel comprises a relatively heavy, rotating wheel used to minimize speed variation in a machine subject to fluctuation in drive and load. Rotary fluid devices have been used for essentially the same purpose with only questionable effectiveness. One such device is shown in the patent to Pelto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,121, which discloses a multiple stage fluid flywheel. The device disclosed in the patent to Pelto is an overcomplicated assembly including multiple stages and many moving parts. Devices of this general type are generally inefficient due to increased drag produced by the moving fluid.
The present invention is a rotary fluid device which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art devices. The fluid device comprises two concentric housings defining a main circulation chamber and an annular recirculation chamber surrounding the main circulation chamber. The inner housing is mounted on an axially extending shaft which extends through the outer housing. The shaft is rotated by an outside source of energy. The shaft is also connected to a driven device directly or by a clutch mechanism to perform useful work.
Upon rotation of the shaft, the fluid within the device is continuously circulated by blades mounted on the shaft. The fluid is drawn into and circulated through the main circulation chamber defined by the inner housing. After reaching the outlet end of the inner housing, a flow deflector at the outlet end redirects the fluid through the recirculation chamber back towards the inlet end. A second flow deflector at the inlet end directs the fluid back into the main circulation chamber. The fluid impinging upon the blades from behind assists the rotation of the shaft. Thus, increases in speed are more easily obtained due to the reaction of the fluid against each group of blades. The fluid device also resists speed degeneration and modulates fluctuations in speed due to instantaneous variations in the drive and load.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a rotary fluid device which utilizes the momentum of a moving fluid to improve the efficiency of operation of a machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary fluid device for use as a flywheel to minimize speed variation in a machine.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary fluid device which is relatively simple in construction and has a minimum number of moving parts.